HELSINKI - St. Petersburg, Helsinki and Tallinn - page 129

▲ Sibelius Monument Stainless-steel sculptural tribute to Finland's greatest com-
poser. Hours: Always open. See here .
Architectural Walk —Archtour's two-hour guided walk shows you a few of Helsinki's
late-19th-century architectural highlights, including the university's library and the stock
exchange building (€20, mid-June-Aug Mon-Fri at 14:00, no tours on weekends, leaves
from middle of Senate Square, tel. [phone], www.archtours.com ) .
Local Guides — Helsinki Expert can arrange a private guide (book at least three days in
advance, €220/3 hours, tel. [phone]). Christina Snellman is a good, licensed guide
(mobile [phone], [e-mail] ).
Self-Guided Walk
▲▲Welcome to Helsinki
This walk offers a convenient spine for your Helsinki sightseeing. Several points of interest
on this walk are described in more detail later, under “Sights in Helsinki.”
MarketSquare: Start at the obelisk in the center of the harborfront market. This is
the Czarina's Stone, with its double-headed eagle of imperial Russia. It was the first public
monument in Helsinki, designed by Carl Ludvig Engel and erected in 1835 to celebrate the
visit by Czar Nicholas I and Czarina Alexandra. Step over the chain and climb to the top
step for a clockwise spin-tour:
The big, red Viking ship and white Tallink Silja ship are each floating hotels for those
making the 40-hour Stockholm-Helsinki round-trip. The brown-and-tan brick building is
the old market hall. A number of harbor cruise boats vie for your business. The trees mark
the beginning of Helsinki's grand promenade, the Esplanade (where we're heading). Hid-
ing in the leaves is the venerable iron-and-glass Café Kappeli. The yellow building across
from the trees is the TI. From there, a string of Neoclassical buildings face the harbor. The
blue-and-white City Hall building was designed by Engel in 1833 as the town's first hotel,
built to house the czar and czarina. Now it houses a public Internet point, free WCs, and
free exhibits on Helsinki history (often photography). The Lutheran Cathedral is hidden
from view behind this building. Next is the Swedish Embassy (flying the blue-and-yellow
Swedish flag and designed to look like Stockholm's Royal Palace). Then comes the Su-
preme Court and, in the far corner, Finland's Presidential Palace. Standing proud, and re-
minding Helsinki of the Russian behemoth to its east, is the Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral.
Explore the colorful outdoor market—part souvenirs and crafts, part fruit and veggies,
part fish and snacks (Mon-Fri roughly 6:30-17:00, Sat 6:30-16:00, only tourist stalls on Sun
10:00-16:00). Then, with your back to the water, walk left to the fountain, Havis Amanda,
designed by Ville Vallgren and unveiled here in 1908. The fountain has become the symbol
of Helsinki, the city known as the “Daughter of the Baltic”—graduating students decorate